How does temperature affect stalagmites and stalactites?

Answer 1

As for all chemical interactions, temperature play a role as in speeding up or slowing down the actual process.

When minerals dissolve in water they can be slowly reformed again due to chemical or physical interactions.

A chemical interaction would form a different material and a physical interaction would crystallize a material but leave the composition as such chemically the same.

Crystalization will in most cases be a combined reaction of both physical and chemical interactions.

When Stalagmites and Stalactites are formed over a really long time in a cold wet cave this normally results in strong bonds between the molecules they are made up from.

The coldness ensures that the reactions forming them goes slow and fills up most cracks and add strongness (stronger bonds between molecules).

If there is heat present, then the water dripping down may dry up quickly. This leads to more physical and less chemical interactions in the material being deposited. Molecules does not form strong bonds and as of this the stalagmite being formed may not be very strong at all.

If trying to heat up a cave where there are stalagmites and stalactites then the heat applied may dry up the minerals formed. This may or may not reduce their strengt.

Answer 2

Temperature affects the rate of dissolution of minerals in water, which is what forms stalactites and stalagmites. Warmer temperatures can increase the rate of mineral dissolution, leading to faster growth of stalactites and stalagmites. However, extreme temperature changes can also cause these formations to crack and break.